A Matter of Trust
by blue artemis
Summary: AU where Voldie wins, but is that really a bad thing?


Winter Break 1978

"I'm sorry, Steven. I never meant for that to happen," Joan Puckle said as she got dressed. "I was angry at William, and just wanted him to feel the pain I did when I realized he cheated."

"I wasn't expecting forever, Joan. I understand being the means to an end. I will say, it was one of the more, well, pleasurable results for me," the man Joan had met at a higher level chemistry class at Uni said.

"Steven, you could use your voice as a weapon, you know? No woman would know what hit her. And you most certainly can be charming when you wish to be," Joan said wryly, hopping around on one foot as she pulled on her Wellies to head out into the snow, and back to her fiancé.

As the door closed, Severus threw himself back on the bed at the small flat he had rented for his course at uni. He may not be as charming as his father could be, but he had learned. And he certainly wasn't above agreeing to a date and more with a woman who wanted to hurt her soon to be husband.

Spring Break 1979

"William, love, I don't know what to do at this point," Joan said.

"We keep her, of course. You know I've always wanted to be a father," William Granger responded. "No one will question it if I don't. My infertility is not well known."

Unbeknownst to her husband, Joan sent out a brief note to the address on record for Steven Snape, with a note on the front to "Please forward."

At his house in Cokeworth, Severus read the short note.

_I got more than just an orgasm as a gift from you, Steven. Luckily for you and your genetic contribution, my husband wants to keep the baby. You are the sperm donor for a little girl due in September. Please use this post box if you wish to be appraised of her development._

_Joan Granger nee Puckle _

**September 1, 1991**

Severus was waiting for the small knock on his chamber door that night. He walked over and threw open the door, admitting the small bushy-haired Gryffindor.

"Did I do well, Father?"

"You did beautifully, Hermione. The Headmaster doesn't suspect a thing. And that way, we can make sure Harry does as he is supposed to," Severus replied.

The girl smiled at him. "I guess the only thing more Slytherin would be to have had us end up in Hufflepuff, but I don't think that would fit in with the old man's plans."

**August 15, 1993**

"Charity Burbage, I never expected you to apply for the Muggle Studies position here!" declared Albus Dumbledore jovially. "It is yours! Well, as long as you can start right away," he mused.

"Absolutely," Charity said, looking over at Severus, who was also in the office.

"Severus, show Charity to her quarters, please. They are down the hall and around the corner from her classroom," Albus ordered.

"Yes, Headmaster," Severus replied dryly.

As soon as Charity had set her password, she pulled a reluctant looking Severus into her quarters with her.

"Sev-" she started to say, when he grabbed her hips and pulled her closer into a brutal kiss. "Oh! I thought you didn't want me!" she exclaimed.

"The walls have eyes and ears. It wouldn't do to look pleased. It would get back to Albus," he responded. "Now, that may not be MY desk, as you were wont to fantasize me bending you over my first year of teaching, but will it do?" he asked.

"Yes!"

**May 1, 1998**

Hermione took the vial that Harry had slipped into her robes as he shoved Ron out of the Shrieking Shack and pulled a few other vials out of her bag. She cast a stasis spell over her father and poured the antivenin on his throat and then spelled the rest directly into his stomach. Then swirling her wand and casting "Tenebris Patronum" she sent the resulting smokey Thestral to the Malfoys with a message.

The Malfoys had just met up in the woods when the Thestral bound up to them. "He's ready. Please take him to the Manor," Hermione's voice said.

Draco nodded to his parents and they moved toward the Shrieking Shack.

**Sometime in Summer 1980**

Severus did exactly as he was told when he went to Dumbledore to get Lily (and her family) protection.

"He will fail, son, and then, not realizing your Vow is broken, he will believe he has a spy," Tom Riddle told him. "I still can't believe I was naive enough to believe I found much of that magic on my own."

"I do not know what that means, sir, but I do believe you understand the vows he would have me make well enough to trust you," Severus replied.

Severus Snape could never bring himself to trust the Headmaster. He had never forgiven him for his cover up of his attempted murder. He never blamed Remus as much as he let on, the boy was not in his right mind, of course. But to allow Black and Potter to get away with what they did, that was beyond the pale.

Tom Marvolo Riddle was smart. Oh, he had been taken in by the lure of easy immortality, but once he realized that he was going mad, he had taken pains to plan the best way to return to himself. He needed one last murder to get things going in the right direction. Luckily for him, the Black boy had been so easy to manipulate, giving him the perfect vessel, a magical mirror for himself. And Dumbledore, well, that old man always thought he knew what was best, or at least pretended to, all the while running things his way.

The self-titled Lord Voldemort sighed to himself. "Pity that Albus only champions those that cannot or will not find places for themselves. I was too smart, too bold and too popular with those in charge, he had to find a way to undermine me. Insanity will do that to you, it most certainly will."

Severus sighed to himself, then went before his Lord. "My Lord, my apologies, I need to report something."

The Dark Lord's red eyes bore into Severus'. "Speak, my son."

"I sent a letter to Lily. I told her point blank that Sirius Black had given her a potion of my own making to make her fall in love with Potter."

"And her reaction, Severusss?" the Dark Lord almost hissed in anticipation.

"She refused to believe me, my Lord," Severus responded. He was taken aback when Voldemort threw his head back and laughed.

It wasn't until much later, when Dumbledore was trying to convince Harry that the 'power he knew not' was love, because Voldemort was conceived via love potion and his father left after Merope stopped giving it to him, that Severus understood the Dark Lord's delighted laughter.

**May 1998**

Sirius Black had not died when he supposedly fell through the Veil during Harry's fifth year. The Black family magic being what it was, and his mother not being able to actually disown him formally, he got put into stasis in the home of the nearest Black. Unfortunately for him, the Malfoys had way too much going on to worry about his recovery.

Therefore, when he woke up to the ministrations of a Healer, and realized the person in the next bed to him was Snape, he was terribly confused.

Draco, realizing they had both woken, said, "Uncle Sev, everything went as it should, Hermione will come home as soon as she's able."

"What of Harry," croaked Sirius.

"He should survive the separation. Neither was living, since the other was barely surviving. Now they can both live," the boy said.

"Interesting interpretation," Severus said.

"That was all Luna," was all Draco said.

**September 1, 1993**

The first time Hermione Granger met Luna Lovegood was almost the last time the little blonde witch was alive.

"Hello, who are you?" Hermione asked the odd looking blonde sitting in the corner of the train compartment reading The Quibbler, properly, the runes on the photo on the stone upside down.

"I'm Luna Lovegood, and you are Hermione Snape."

Before Luna had gotten to the P in her last name, Hermione had whipped out her wand and had it pointed between the other girl's eyes.

"How do you know that?" Hermione demanded.

"I see you. I see many things. But I can't protect myself if I tell people this. They would want to know, and that isn't always good," she replied.

"How can I know I can trust you?" Hermione asked.

"You can't know. Not yet. But you will, so please, give me a chance," Luna replied. "Don't worry, no one would believe me if I slipped up, but I won't."

Hermione nodded. Something in the girl's demeanor made her trust in what she was saying. She also seemed to understand the penalty for betraying that trust.

**1996**

The moniker of Dumbledore's Army was the height of misdirection. Harry and Hermione had everyone sign the parchment in order to learn the truth. It was quite easy to convince everyone once Cedric walked in, whole and hale.

"It was all a planted memory so that Dumbledore would announce that The Dark Lord had returned. He doesn't look like that at all. His return has been very carefully orchestrated, you don't think the Head Boy of his time would allow Peter Pettigrew of all people to make a potion when he has a Master available, do you?"

Marietta's mother was rather well-compensated to allow her daughter to be believed a traitor to the "light", but considering they wanted to open a playhouse, they were assured by all those involved that she would have plenty of patrons once the war was over.

The students involved in the study group learned the history of Albus Dumbledore's subtle takeover of the wizarding world, trying desperately to remake it the way he had planned with Gellert Grindelwald. But he was never able to completely overcome the traditions of those born to them.

Neither side could quite believe the evil that was named Dolores Umbridge, so they left her to the centaurs.

**Shortly after the Battle, 1998**

All three men looked up from their conversation when Hermione's otter Patronus swam into the room.

"We are at St. Mungo's. Harry is stable, he should be waking up soon. Someone please help get us away from the ravening red-headed horde!" Hermione's voice rang through the room.

Severus looked at Draco, "Please call your mother."

"No need, Severus, we saw the otter swim through the window. I imagine she couldn't send the Thestral from St. Mungo's," Narcissa said. "I have Lucius preparing the back-dated guardianship documents for Mr. Potter on your behalf, Severus; we want to make sure no one harms him for any previous action. I am assuming the Weasleys are causing some sort of panic?"

"I am not certain, Narcissa. They should have been apprehended for questioning. As it is, we need to bring the Muggle-born back to Hogwarts, and rid ourselves of the Carrows," Severus spoke in his raspy, healing voice.

"One thing at a time, Severus. Let's get the children back home first," Narcissa replied.

Just then, a small house-elf popped in holding a folder. "Here is the papers, Mistress."

"Excellent," Narcissa said, taking the folder from the elf. "I'm off then, I should be back shortly."

St. Mungo's was full of pandemonium. The Snatchers had most of the lobby at wandpoint. The Aurors, the few that were there, and not trying to lock down the Ministry, were yelling for order. And the medical staff was attempting to do their job.

Suddenly, The Dark Lord apparated into the lobby. "Quiet! This is a place of healing. If you are injured, you may stay, everyone else, you need to be sorted out properly!" he didn't yell, but he had the attention of everyone in the room. He looked at Narcissa and nodded. "Healer, who is in charge of Mr. Potter and Miss Snape?"

"That would be me," Healer Selwyn Greengrass stated.

"Mrs. Malfoy here should be holding the proper guardianship paperwork since neither of the two have sat their NEWTs. Please release them to her if they are stable," he said.

The new laws stated that anyone who hadn't had at least one NEWT was still considered a minor. No matter what their age. It caused a bit of consternation for some of the more traditional Purebloods.

"No! You can't take Mi—" Ronald Weasley was stopped mid-yell by a stunner.

"You and your family chose the wrong side, Mr. Weasley. Traditions are very important," hissed Lord Voldemort. "Auror Robards! Take all of these people who are uninjured to the Ministry for sorting!"

"As you wish, my Lord," replied Robards, bowing. "You all heard the man, ten to a rope, hurry up, now!" he said as he passed out some portkeys.

Everyone in the lobby touched the rope, except for Ron. The second everyone disappeared, he lunged at the waiting Snatcher, who, with a lazy flick of his wand, decapitated the red-head.

"Why didn't he go to the Ministry?" asked Harry, with a bewildered look. "He knew what was real and what wasn't!"

Healer Greengrass stared at Harry intently after overhearing the statement, then cried out, "Test him for potions and compulsions! We may have to send a report to Auror Robards!"

**September 1, 1998**

Hogwarts did not open to anyone except the "Eighth Years" and the NEWT students, many of who were taught how to help rebuild the castle.

"Well, Father, it looks like that megalomaniacal old man will end up a historical footnote," Hermione told Severus.

"True, dear. Now, we can get this school back up to International standards. It has fallen so far behind, considering that Albus didn't want any of the old traditions taught. You know there was a healing potion taught to the Seventh Years back when he was a student that required a 'mature virgin's blood', he removed it because he somehow assumed there was a sex ritual involved," Severus replied.

"Hmph. Well, if you aren't seeing women as anything but victims, as he did with Ariana, you can't see that a young woman past puberty could just prick her finger with her knife to get some blood if she meets the other criteria," Hermione mused.

"There is never any black and white with Magic, Hermione, you know that. But he lost sight of that as he got older. I've always wondered what happened to make him lose his balance," Severus said.

"I'm certain, given his druthers, he'd have gotten a vow from Gellert and kept him here, willing or not, so that he could 'rehabilitate' him," Minerva said, walking into the office. "Now, laddie, do you still want me as your Deputy?"

"Of course, you old cat! No one else can keep me in check quite like you do," Severus said, smiling.

"And while I know that Hermione here has her proper suitors, what are you proposing to do about Charity, Severus? I know she's being held here in stasis. How you managed to switch her with a goat after she was swallowed by that snake is beyond me!" Minerva exclaimed.

"Now that it has it quieted down at St. Mungo's, I will take her there," Severus said, "and then once she is awake and aware, I shall see if she will have me as her spouse."

"Good, laddie. I know the two of you have been friends for a long time. Now about that switching spell?"

"It wasn't a spell, it was an amulet, and Aberforth gave me the pair. He had all the honor his brother didn't have, even if he didn't have the accolades," Severus said.

"The Dumbledores used to be very proud of their honor. It makes sense that at least one of them would have some," said Luna. "Are you ready to go, Hermione? I have a Dirigible Plum pie in the oven, and we need to get back to it before it burns."

"Miss Lovegood, I'd ask how you got in here, but I know it wouldn't do me any good. Both of you be careful, would you? I don't want to end up having to rescue you," Severus said.

**September 1, 1999**

"Welcome to Hogwarts! For those that were here before, there will be some new classes and new rules. For those new to the school, my name is Severus Snape, and I am the headmaster. Firstly, you will not be sorted until your third year. We have reopened some of the extra housing that exists in the castle. You will all learn to deal with each other, and will be separated into your various classes by lottery. Runes and Arithmancy are now core classes. Second years, you will no longer belong to the House you were sorted to, either. I understand there are two years worth of you, don't worry, the castle can handle it," he said. "All of you were tested on your knowledge and capabilities. So, you have been told by letter what year you are in, hopefully, this will no longer be necessary after this year, but if we see anything that needs correction, we WILL be correcting it," he almost growled. "Now, this is my wife, Charity, whom you will address as Mrs. Snape. You may see Eileen running around. If you do, direct her back to my office, it means she has escaped."

His last comment made the students laugh. Eileen Snape was well known for getting away from her Nanny elf, even at only 16 months old.

**September 1, 2000**

It had taken over a year for Hogwarts to be rebuilt. In that time, Rita Skeeter wrote her book The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore. It was essentially the only part of history he would have. Hogwarts: A History mentioned him in passing as one of the worst headmasters in the history of the school. His lasting legacy would be the death of many young people due to compulsions and potions keyed to him. The entire Weasley family was so potioned and full of loyalty compulsion spells that they spent all of June and July in St. Mungo's being cleansed.

As history would have it, even Tom Riddle didn't have the reknown that Severus Snape had later. He shaped hundreds and thousands of young minds, but he taught them to think for themselves, instead of molding them into naive sheep. And all because Snape made a choice as a young man, to stick to the mentor who wanted him for his talents and intelligence, and not for the one who believed him to be a lost cause.

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